The Department of Horticulture Jammu organised a comprehensive Horticulture Awareness and Development Camp at Chak Brahmana, Akhnoor under ATMA/MIDH for promoting modern cultivation techniques and imparting awareness to local farmers about the government schemes.
The camp was graced by the Member Parliament (Lok Sabha), Jugal Kishore Sharma; Member Parliament (Rajya Sabha) Sat Sharma; Member Legislative Assembly Akhnoor, Mohan lal Bhagat; Director Horticulture Jammu, Gul Sayed; Chief Horticulture Officer, R.K Kotwal; Horticulture Development Officer (HDO) Sandeep Sharma.
The programme commenced with a warm welcome to all participants followed by an overview of horticulture initiatives and objectives for boosting fruit production across the Akhnoor Zone.
The event saw enthusiastic participation from local farmers, agricultural stakeholders and community members.
Key highlights of the camp included presentations on scientific horticultural practices, high-value crop cultivation, soil health management and climate-smart farming techniques to enhance productivity.
A detailed briefing was delivered on central and UT government horticultural schemes including the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH), JKCIP and other support mechanisms for inputs, credit facilitation and marketing linkages.
Direct engagement between farmers and experts, including the Director Horticulture and the Chief Horticulture Officer addressed the queries on crop choices, improved sapling varieties, pest management, post-harvest practices and orchard care.
Emphasis was laid on adopting modern horticultural methods and diversification of crops like cultivation of guava, dragon fruit, citrus, mango and Aonla -all well-suited to the agro-climatic conditions of Jammu region.
MP Sat Sharma highlighted the pivotal role of horticulture in rural economy and urged farmers to avail themselves of the technical support and financial incentives provided by the government.
MP Jugal Kishore Sharma pitched for tapping the immense horticulture potential of the region and assured continued support for horticulture-based economic growth.
Jugal Kishore Sharma laid special emphasis on the cultivation of dragon fruit, describing it as a high-value horticultural crop with immense income-generating potential for farmers. He stated that dragon fruit requires comparatively less water and is well-suited to the agro-climatic conditions of the Jammu region.
The MP encouraged farmers to move beyond traditional farming practices and adopt innovative and commercially viable crops like dragon fruit. He further urged them to avail the technical guidance and subsidies provided under the government horticulture schemes to enhance their income and create new livelihood opportunities.
The MLA Akhnoor lauded the initiative for empowering farmers with knowledge and resources to improve crop yields and income levels.
The camp concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by the Director Horticulture, who reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to supporting farmers with training, market access and scheme implementation in collaboration with field-level officers including the Chief Horticulture Officer and HDO Akhnoor.